how to change the face of africa
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Why does the media continuously bombard us with negative images of Africa? Changing the Face of Africa's mission is to inspire people across the world to change their negative perceptions of Africa and other places and people that are often misrepresented in the media. We carry out our mission through critical thinking and media literacy.TRANSCRIPT
Media, Africa & International Development
Changing the Face of Africa
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
Why does the media label Africans this way?
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
"For all that has changed, Africa continues to be
described through a series of lacks and absences, failings and problems, plagues and
catastrophes"
(James Ferguson, Global Shadows)
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
What's On?
Dictatorships Child Soldiers NGOs Famine CorruptionWar Research Violence
Dependent Disaster HIV/AIDs Starving Babies Western Aid Campaigning
Development Illiterate Doom’n’Gloom Black
Poverty
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
So what is the Impact?
Collateral Damage
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
Culture of Dependency
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
Compassion Fatigue (Susan Moeller)
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
What Can We Do?• Become Critical Thinkers • Teach Media Literacy
• Shape Broadcast Decisions• Create Ethical Guidelines and Principles• Practice Diversity in Public Relations and
Advertising• Re-evaluate NGO’s / Charities Marketing
Strategies• More Positive Stories that Development
is Working
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
Also
Check Out…
Read Binyavanga Wainaina‘How to Write about Africa’
“Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders
the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children
have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look
utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic
moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except
to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering”
© 2011 Changing the Face of Africa
Duncan McNicholl‘Perspectives of Poverty’
Two images of the same person in different contexts can alter our perception.
Chimamanda Adichie‘The danger of a single
story’
Nigerian Novelist tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice, and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person
or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Think about it!
"The difference between a smart person and a wise
person is that a smart person knows what to say and a wise person knows whether or not to say it."
